Text: Psalm 30
Prayer Pointers:
To worship God truly
For a thankful heart
For those who lead worship
What makes a human being unique? What really, truly separates humans from the rest of creation?
More than one scholar (or pundit, for that matter) has declared that the thing that marks out human exceptionality is that we worship. We are a worshipping species; we search for something to which we can give our devotion, our praise. Luther famously said that whatever your heart turns to in every moment of trial, in every moment of joy, that is your god. Worship is simply the outward expression of that inward trust.
Psalm 30 captures all the aspects of what it means to be a human being: the specter of loss and death, the joy of renewal and fresh possibilities, and the relationship between God and the worshipper. The Psalmist captures both the reasons for worship and how it is done. Song, prayer, proclamation are part of the means, but thanksgiving is why. “O Lord, my God, I will praise/thank/reach out my hands to you forever.”
In our lives, with so many challenges before us, we would do well to remember what we are—beings called to worship—and remind ourselves of how and why we are thankful. God who is our Father delights in us, wants us to call upon him, and is always giving us blessings. Let us lift our hands to him, let us praise him in all times and places, let us thank him in every circumstance.
May your day be grace-filled ~ Pr. Dave Brooks